Clark begs Buhari to release Kanu

A former federal commissioner for information, Chief Edwin Clark, on Monday appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to release the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.

The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja had on October 13 discharged Kanu on the 15-count charge of treasonable felony and terrorism filed against him by the Federal Government.

A few hours later the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, dashed the hope of many who had expected the federal government to order the release of the activist following the court’s ruling.

In a statement issued by his media aide, Umar Gwandu, the AGF insisted that Kanu was only discharged and had not been acquitted by the court.

Clark, who made the appeal in a statement in Abuja, also berated the federal government for going to Kenya to abduct Kanu on the ground that he jumped bail.

He expressed fear that Kanu’s incarceration would continue to trigger unrest in the South-East.

The statement read: “Though History, as a subject, has not been taught in our schools for many years, the evidence of the civil war and the marginalisation of the South-East, the ‘Igbos’ is there for even a ten-year-old child to comprehend; when he or she is discriminated against in even admission to the Federal Unity Schools, where even if he or she scores the highest mark percentage, the child knows he or she may not be admitted.

READ ALSO: Nnamdi Kanu a notorious terrorist, comparable to Shekau —Adamu Garuba

“I consider this stance of the Federal Government as rather imperious and needless. I, therefore, earnestly call on President Muhammadu Buhari to obey the judgement of the Court of Appeal and order the immediate release of Nnamdi Kanu in the interest of peace in the country, the South-East zone in particular.

“Most Nigerians greeted the judgement of the Court of Appeal with elation, mainly in the South-East, where there were reports of widespread jubilations across cities in the zone.

“It would, therefore, be detrimental for the Federal Government to still keep Kanu in detention and provide any pretext for malefactors to continue to take advantage of the situation in perpetrating all sorts of atrocities in the zone.

“Even though certain activities of Nnamdi Kanu and his IPOB followers have been a nuisance and very disturbing, the Federal Government went too far in going all the way to Kenya to abduct him on the ground that he jumped bail.

“I remember, and it is well known, that when the leaders, elders and traditional rulers of the South East pleaded with President Muhammadu Buhari during a meeting in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, to release Kanu and other pro-Biafra agitators in detention, the President responded that Nnamdi Kanu’s fate will be decided by the court. And even when they (Igbo leaders) visited him at Aso Rock, the President again said the matter was no longer in his hand and the security agencies, but in the hand of the judiciary and that whatever the court decides would be final.

“Now that the Court of Appeal has given its judgement on the matter, I am imploring the President to obey the judgement of the court and release the young man, and allow peace to reign. At this time, when insecurity is the order of the day, anything that would enhance the peace and stability of the country must be embraced.”

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